People are considered to be employed if they were in paid work, or helping in a family business, for one hour or more in the reference week. Those people who were absent from work in the reference week are also considered to be employed, unless they had been on unpaid leave for more than four weeks. This section contains information about people who are employed, including whether they worked full-time or part-time, the industry and occupation they worked in, and the characteristics of their employment arrangements.

Relating employment levels to population levels enables evaluation of the strength of job growth compared to population growth. The measure relating these two levels is the employment/population ratio. Its usefulness lies in the fact that, while movements in the employment level reflect net changes in the levels of persons holding jobs, movements in the ratio reflect net changes in the number of persons employed relative to changes in the size of the population.

The overall employment/population ratio rose from 58.1% in 1997-98 to 60.0% in 2002-03; the latter represents a slight increase from 59.5% recorded in 2001-02 (table 6.9). In 2002-03, the employment/population ratio for males was considerably higher than for females (67.6% compared to 52.7%), which reflects the higher participation of males in the labour force.

6.9 EMPLOYED PERSONS, Employment/population ratios(a)

1997-98

1998-99

1999-2000

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

%

%

%

%

%

%

Males

66.9

67.2

67.6

67.6

67.4

67.6

Females

49.5

50.0

51.0

51.8

51.8

52.7

Persons

58.1

58.5

59.2

59.6

59.5

60.0

(a) The employment/population ratio for any group is the annual average number of employed persons expressed as a percentage of the annual average civilian population aged 15 and over in the same group.

Source: ABS data available on request, Labour Force Survey.

Full-time and part-time employment

In the ABS Labour Force Survey, employed persons are regarded as either full-time or part-time, depending on the number of hours worked. Full-time workers are those who usually work 35 hours or more per week in all jobs, or, although usually working less than 35 hours a week, actually worked 35 hours or more during the reference week of the Labour Force Survey. Part-time workers are those who usually work less than 35 hours a week and eitherdid so during the reference week, or were not at work during the reference week.

Graph 6.10 shows annual percentage changes in part-time and full-time employment since 1979-80. For most of this period part-time and full-time employment have followed much the same pattern. The major exceptions to this have been 1981-82 to 1983-84 and from 1999-2000 onwards. In every year part-time employment has increased at a greater rate than full-time employment. Consequently, the proportion of part-time employed persons has also risen over the period, increasing from 15.7% in 1979-80 to 28.5% in 2002-03.

Following a period of strong economic growth in the late-1980s and early-1990s, and the subsequent recession of the early-1990s, employment growth fluctuated considerably. In 1988-89, growth in full-time employment peaked at 3.6%. Part-time employment grew strongly in 1989-90, peaking at 8.2%. Subsequently the rate of growth of full-time and part-time employment began to slow. At the onset of the recession in 1990-91, full-time employment fell by 1.6%. The impact of the recession and its effects on the demand for labour intensified in 1991-92 when full-time employment fell more strongly, recording a decrease of 3.4%. At the same time, the rate of growth of part-time employment increased slightly from 3.2% in 1990-91 to 3.8% in 1991-92.

Similar patterns are evident in 1982-83 and 2001-02 when decreases in full-time employment were accompanied by peaks in the growth of part-time employment. This was particularly marked in 1982-83.

In 2002-03 there were 9,458,500 employed persons, with 72.0% working full-time (table 6.11). Males were far more likely than females to work full-time (85.2% and 54.3% respectively). Part-time work was most prevalent among the younger (aged 15-19) and older (65 and over) age groups (67.1% and 52.5% respectively). For females, at least a third of each age group worked part-time, with the 20-24 and 25-34 year age groups having the lowest proportion of part-time workers (38.3% and 34.9% respectively).

6.11 EMPLOYED PERSONS(a), Full-time and part-time workers - 2002-03

Age group (years)

Units

15-19

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-59

60-64

65 and over

Total

MALES

Full-time workers

’000

144.2

415.2

1,144.6

1,177.3

1,042.2

340.0

153.1

60.4

4,477.1

Part-time workers

’000

194.1

132.7

111.1

94.8

91.6

56.3

46.5

48.6

775.7

Total

’000

338.3

547.8

1,255.6

1,272.1

1,133.9

396.3

199.6

109.0

5,252.7

Proportion of part-time workers

%

57.4

24.2

8.8

7.5

8.1

14.2

23.3

44.6

14.8

FEMALES

Full-time workers

’000

81.3

305.4

633.3

522.0

547.4

137.7

44.7

12.1

2,284.0

Part-time workers

’000

264.9

189.3

339.6

497.2

405.2

131.7

62.4

31.5

1,921.8

Total

’000

346.2

494.7

973.0

1,019.2

952.6

269.4

107.1

43.6

4,205.8

Proportion of part-time workers

%

76.5

38.3

34.9

48.8

42.5

48.9

58.3

72.3

45.7

PERSONS

Full-time workers

’000

225.5

720.6

1,777.9

1,699.3

1,589.7

477.7

197.8

72.6

6,761.0

Part-time workers

’000

459.0

322.0

450.7

591.9

496.9

188.0

108.9

80.1

2,697.5

Total

’000

684.5

1,042.5

2,228.6

2,291.3

2,086.5

665.7

306.7

152.7

9,458.5

Proportion of part-time workers

%

67.1

30.9

20.2

25.8

23.8

28.2

35.5

52.5

28.5

(a) Annual average.

Source: ABS data available on request, Labour Force Survey.

Employment by industry and occupation

The distribution of employed persons across industries and occupations, and the changes over time, provide an important insight into the structure of the labour market. Graph 6.12 provides information on the proportion of employed persons, by industry, for the years 1987-88 and 2002-03.

Since 1987-88, the industry composition of the labour market has changed considerably. Historically, the Manufacturing industry has been the dominant employing industry, but its contribution to the number of employed persons has been declining. As recently as 1990-91, the Manufacturing industry was the largest employer; however, it is now second to Retail trade, which has 15.4% of employed persons. Manufacturing has fallen from 16.1% of all employed persons in 1987-88, and 14.7% in 1990-91, to 12.0% in 2002-03. Employment in other traditional commodity-based industries, such as Agriculture, forestry and fishing, and Mining, has also declined over this period.

Over the period 1987-88 to 2002-03, service-based industries have increased their share of employed persons. Property and business services has increased markedly, from 7.0% to 11.6%of employed persons, to now rate as the third biggest employing industry, while Health has risen from 8.3% to 9.9%, and Accommodation, cafes and restaurants from 3.7% to 4.8%.

Table 6.13 shows the number of employed persons in each broad occupation group by age, for 2002-03. The most common occupation group was Professionals (18.6%), followed by Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers (17.3%). Advanced clerical and service workers was the least prevalent occupation group (4.1%).

There is a correlation between age and occupation, with a higher proportion of employed persons in the younger age groups employed in the lower skilled occupations, and a higher proportion of employed persons in the older age groups employed in the more highly skilled occupations. For example, less than 1% of 15-19 year olds and 2% of 20-24 year olds were employed as Managers and administrators, while at the other end of the age spectrum, in the age group 65 years and over, 26.5% were employed in this occupation group. In the lower age groups, 40.9% of persons aged 15-19 were employed as Elementary clerical, sales and service workers, and a further 17.9% as Labourers and related workers. The proportion of 20-24 year olds employed in these occupation groups was considerably lower (16.1% and 10.1% respectively), and continued to be lower in all other age groups.

6.13 EMPLOYED PERSONS(a), By occupation(b) - 2002-03

Age group (years)

Units

15-19

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-59

60-64

65 and
over

All age groups

Managers and administrators

%

0.4

1.6

5.4

8.2

9.8

9.8

12.7

26.5

7.2

Professionals

%

1.6

13.1

22.0

20.8

21.2

18.8

17.3

17.9

18.6

Associate professionals

%

2.9

8.2

12.7

13.6

14.0

13.5

14.1

12.8

12.1

Tradespersons and related workers

%

12.2

15.8

14.4

12.8

10.6

10.6

11.1

7.7

12.7

Advanced clerical and service workers

%

0.9

3.6

4.2

4.3

4.6

5.1

5.0

4.7

4.1

Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers

%

16.0

24.5

17.9

16.7

16.0

15.7

12.7

9.6

17.3

Intermediate production and transport workers

%

7.0

7.1

8.1

9.1

9.1

10.1

9.2

5.9

8.5

Elementary clerical, sales and service workers

%

40.9

16.1

7.3

6.1

6.3

6.8

7.4

6.0

10.1

Labourers and related workers

%

17.9

10.1

8.0

8.4

8.4

9.5

10.5

9.0

9.3

All occupations

%

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Number

'000

676.1

1,034.7

2,227.5

2,294.0

2,087.1

669.1

305.1

147.7

9,441.4

(a) Annual average of quarterly data.(b) Classified according to the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations.

Source: ABS data available on request, Labour Force Survey.

There are large gender differences in occupations. Females dominate clerical occupations, such as Advanced clerical and service workers, Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers, and Elementary clerical, sales and service workers; while males dominate the trade occupations, including Tradespersons and related workers, and Intermediate production and transport workers (graph 6.14). For example, a higher proportion of males were employed as Tradespersons and related workers (20.6% compared to 2.8% for females), while a higher proportion of females were employed as Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers (27.9% compared to 8.8% for males).

Characteristics of employment

Working life in Australia continues to change. There are more diverse employment arrangements, more flexible working time patterns, and more people working part-time hours. This section looks at the types of arrangements people are employed under, and the hours they work.

Employment type

The ABS Forms of Employment Survey for November 2001 collected information on persons employed in a range of situations and described their working arrangements. Employed persons, excluding contributing family workers and persons working for payment in kind only, were classified to one of five employment types on the basis of their main job, that is, the job in which they usually worked the most hours. The employment types are: employees with paid leave entitlements; self-identified casuals; employees without paid leave entitlements who did not identify as a casual; owner managers of incorporated enterprises; and owner managers of unincorporated enterprises.

There were 9,058,500 employed persons surveyed in November 2001. The predominant employment type was employees with paid leave entitlements (58.1%). Other large groups were self-identified casuals (20.0%) and owner managers of unincorporated enterprises (12.5%).

Graph 6.15 shows that although the proportion of employed persons who were employees with paid leave entitlements was similar for males (58.6%) and females (57.5%), more females identified themselves as casual employees (26.6%) than males (14.7%). In contrast, the proportion of employed males working in their own business was higher than for females (24.1% compared to 13.5%).

Hours worked

Hours data have a wide range of uses, including calculation of productivity, and monitoring working conditions. Information on hours worked allows the ABS to classify employed persons as full-time or part-time, and also to identify underemployed persons (in conjunction with measures of those wanting to work more hours). There are a number of measures of hours of work, and this section examines the number of hours that employed persons have actually worked in all jobs during the reference week. The Usual hours article discusses other measures of hours worked.

Average weekly hours worked is defined as aggregate hours worked by a group of employed persons during the reference week divided by the number of employed persons in that group. Graph 6.16 shows that the average weekly hours worked by full-time employed persons rose from 38.2 in 1982-83 to 41.4 in 1999-2000, an increase of 8.4%. In 2002-03, full-time employed persons worked an average of 41.1 hours per week.

As shown in graph 6.17, the average weekly hours worked in full-time employment differed across occupations, although males worked between two and five hours longer than females in all occupations. The greatest difference was in the occupation Managers and administrators where, on average, males worked 5.1 hours per week longer than females.

Managers and administrators also recorded the highest average weekly hours for full-time employed males (50.3 hours per week) and females (45.2), followed by Associate professionals (46.7 and 42.4). The occupations with the lowest average weekly hours worked (by full-time workers) were Labourers and related workers for males (40 hours per week) and Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers for females (37.2).

When the hours of part-time workers are included, the overall average weekly hours worked for males (39.6) was almost 11 hours greater than for females (29.0), as shown in table 6.18. This was due partly to males working longer average weekly hours in full-time employment (43.6) than females (39.3), and also because females were more likely than males to work part-time.

Graph 6.19 shows that, in June 2003, 33.5% of employed males worked between 35 and 44 hours per week, and a further 32.1% worked 45 hours or more per week. In contrast, 11.4% of employed females worked 45 hours or more per week. Over a third of employed females (37.2%) worked between 16 and 34 hours per week.

Graph 6.20 shows that, from 1983-84 to 2002-03, there was a steady increase in the number of hours worked by part-time workers as a percentage of the total number of hours worked. In 1982-83, 7.4% of all hours worked were in part-time employment; however, in 2002-03 this had risen to 13.5%. For males, 6.1% of the total number of hours worked were attributed to part-time employment in 2002-03, whereas for females the proportion was much greater (26.1%).

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